mitchell



v; N. MITCHELL.

Pole and ShafL No 19,113 Patented Jan 12 1858.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

V. N. MITCHELL, OF CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, H. A. AREA,

AND C. N. W'HITE,

OF SAME PLACE.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, V. N. MITCHELL, of Concord, in the county of Cabanas andState of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Drawing-Gear of WVheel and other Vehicles that are Drawn by Horses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figures 1 and 2 are inverted plans of my invention. Fig. 3, is a back view of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate cor responding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in so applying or attaching the shafts of a vehicle to the same, that the shafts may be adjusted to receive a single horse as usual and also adjusted to form a draft pole or tongue for two horses without removing the shafts from the ve hicle, thereby enabling a. vehicle to be converted from a single to a two horse one and vice versa, with the greatest facility.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a bar, which is connected to the front axle of the vehicle either by curved metallic bars B, B, frequently termed goose necks, or by woo-den hounds. The bar A may be constructed of wood and have an iron plate C, attached to its under side.

To the plate C, two metallic bars D, D, are attached by joints (a) (a) which are about midway between the center of the plate C, and its ends. These bars D, D, are in line or in the same plane with the bar A, and when turned over or outward from the center have their ends flush with the ends of the bar A.

To the outer end of each bar D, a shaft E, is attached. These shafts are each braced by a bar F, and these bars are connected to the plate C, by the same joints (a) (a) as the bars D, D, see Fig. 2. The joints are formed by having screw bolts (6) pass through eyes in the inner ends of the bars D, D, and braces F, the bolts also passing through projections (0) attached to the plate C.

Through the outer ends of the bars D, and through the inner ends of the shafts E, holes are made to receive bolts (d). These bolts when the vehicle is used with one horse pass 19 ,113, dated January 12, 1858.

through holes near the ends of the bar A, and secure the shafts firmly to the ends of said bar, and to the center of bar A, a whiffle-tree F, is attached by a bolt (6) see Fig. 2.

WVhen the "ehicle is to be used with two horses, the bolts (d) are withdrawn and the shafts E, folded or turned over inward and the bolts ((Z) passed through holes (f) near the center of bar A, the whiffle-tree F, being removed from the center of the bar and secured to one end of it, the bolt (6) of the whiflle-tree passing through one of the holes through which the bolt (d) of one of the shafts E formerly passed. A whifile tree F, is attached in a similar manner to the opposite end of the bar A, by a bolt (6). The outer ends of the shafts E are then connected or secured together by metal bands (g) (g) which may have a bar ('71 attached, the bands being slipped over the ends of the shafts and the bar (it) serving to lengthen the same, see Fig. 1. The shafts E, E, when thus adjusted or arranged form a draft pole or tongue. Thus it will be seen that the shaft E, may be adjusted so as to form a draft pole or tongue when desired and the vehicle, without detaching the shafts from it, readily converted from a single to a two horse one and vice versa.

I would remark that it is not essential that the shafts be attached to hinged bars in order to be moved toward and from each other, they may be arranged to slide toward and from each other by having their inner ends fitted in a groove in the bar A. I prefer however attaching the shafts tothe hinged bars as herein shown.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Attaching the shaft E, E, to the vehicle substantially as shown or in any equivalent way, so that said shafts may be turned, moved, or folded toward and from each other and secured in either position, so as to form either shafts or a draft pole or tongue, and the vehicle thereby readily converted from a single to a two horse one and vice versa.

V. N. MITCHELL.

Witnesses:

A. J. YORK, J. R. HARRIS. 

